A space for discussion about issues raised by the pervasiveness of the web.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

It's on the Internet, I can use it!

I have looked at both sides of the copyright situation and have mixed feelings about it. I agree in saying that is wrong and illegal to go around stealing others work. Though I also think that the internet is such a wonderful and if the work is out there then why can't I use it too?

I think this is where the biggest problem of piracy comes into play. While the government and other companies work to stop it, I fell that they don't go about doing so in the best way possible. It seems that you see more cases of single downloaders going to court over piracy then those hosting the sites and programs or those hosting the music or movies.

The internet is a huge resource for everyone and it is easy to get almost anything you want out there if you know where to look. Why should we target the people who just go and use that information instead of having a stronger focus on those who put it out there for everyone. I know that some companies such as Napster have been shut down but there is so many others that can be easily accessed. We should spend more time taking them down then bothering with the single people that download a few songs here and there.

Comparing this to what we read in the "Guide to Youtube Removals". When videos on Youtube have copyright infringement then the person who posted the video takes the "punishment" for posting it. Youtube doesn't go and track down everyone who watched that video and give their information to companies to sue them for using sources available to the public.

Overall I feel that if something is easily attainable on the internet that someone should be able to use that and not be worried about committing a crime but those who make it available are the problem.

3 comments:

That's a good point about attacking the source of the problem. I know a lot of music companies have been doing that. They either typically target the uploaders instead of the downloaders, or I believe some have even made deals with ISPs to detect who is uploaded/downloading music. This will often be followed by a cease and desist letter, and if it keeps occurring, they may completely shut down your internet. However, only some ISPs are "on board" and cooperating with this method, as far as I know.

According to the Creative Commons video, "creation is (now) copyrighted immediately after is is created." If copyright laws were enforced to their fullest extent then nobody would be able to post any videos on youtube or anywhere else for that matter. If I were pictured wearing a Coca Cola t-shirt and I put that picture on Facebook, then according to the law, I could be punished for infringement. That just is practical. I think that the copyright infringement has to be pretty egregious in order for people to be punished.

Wow! Good Points! I couldn't agree with you more! The Internet is a public tool & it is difficult to detect when someone is copying material, so people say 'why not use it'. Also, the information that the web has should be fair game. Also online music companies have a big issue with copywright, there should be a better way to help fix this problem. Attacking the source of the problem instead of its users seems to be a more effective technique.